Letting Go
by clarabella75
Summary: Ten years in the future, Bella, Edward, Renesmee and Jacob return to Forks for a visit. What happens when teenage Renesmee doesn't want to leave, but wants to stay and enroll at Forks High? It's time for Bella and Edward to learn to let go. Short Story
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ok, so this is my first time to put anything i've written out there, outside of a classroom. i'm slightly, ok, extremely, nervous about that. so, review if you like, but please be kind if you don't, i'm a fanfic virgin! :)**

**just a few things about this....i was never a jacob/renesmee fan. i thought the whole thing was kinda weird. but i was re-reading new moon for like the 5th time and i started to feel sorry for him again when he puts his feelings out there only to get rebuffed again and again and again. so i figured he deserves to get his happily ever after,too. and i'm a sucker for the happy endings!**

**HUGE thanks to my new BFF, ghartling, for bringing me into this wonderful world of fanfiction, for being my proofreader and my cheerleader. you rock! and i promise you'll get your emmett goodness in the next one! :)**

**it goes without saying, though it must be said...the lovely, super-cool, uber-talented Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. i'm just playing with their future! **

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Letting Go

Bella

"Jaaaaake!" I could hear Nessie's voice as clear as though she were standing beside me. My daughter was, in fact, about a mile away, in the garden behind our cottage in the woods. Of course, Jacob would be able to hear her, also, no matter how far away he was, so the yelling was for effect, to get Jacob to come to her quickly. She wanted Jacob, and she wanted him _now._

I shook my head and laughed a little at the thought of how fast Jacob would be running now, desperate to know what had caused Nessie to yell so loudly for him. He might have even phased for the trip across the forest. He would be thinking that there was something wrong, that she was hurt or in trouble. In truth, I learned as I allowed my daughter to show me what she was up to, Renesmee needed Jacob simply because she missed him.

Jacob and Renesmee had been linked by fate. On the day she was born, on the day _I _ had been reborn, my best friend, the werewolf, had imprinted on my newborn daughter. It was all still overwhelming sometimes, despite the fact that ten years had passed since that day. Of course, over the first few months of my life as a vampire, so much had happened. Jacob and Nessie, Irina, the gathering at the Mansion, the confrontation with The Volturi. Edward and I had learned in those short months, as everything around us was intensified by the fear of what was coming, that as strange as it may have seemed to us at the time, Jacob was going to be wherever Renesmee was, forever. And as long as he contiuned to live as a werewolf, he wouldn't age. He, like me, would be forever young until he chose to give up his birthright. Of course, he had surpassed me in the physical sense of aging even before my own transformation, leaving him looking about twenty-five. It had been decided that Jacob would remain the Alpha until Renesmee reached her full potential and then they could decide what would be next for them.

I had watched over the years, as their relationship changed. In those first years, Nessie grew so fast, reaching the physical age of ten in just one year. After that, her growth slowed, but she was still maturing faster than a human child. Intellectually, she far surpassed anyone I'd ever known, human or vampire. And her vampire powers were more well developed than we ever expected. When she was small, she would share her thoughts with you by touch. But she had, in the intervening years, grown able to share them with anyone, anywhere, simply by concentrating on their subconscious mind. By the time she was chronologically only eight, Nessie was physically the same as a seventeen-year-old human. The whole family liked to joke that she was now the same age as her father, and only two years younger than I was. Now when we moved to a new place, she would pretend to be our sister instead of our daughter.

I knew the time was coming for her to stop aging. She already appeared older than the only other of her kind we had ever met. I had my reservations about what would happen between her and Jacob when she reached adulthood. The entirety of her life, everything had been accelerated, and Jacob had been there every step of the way, being for Renesmee whatever she needed. He was an excellent babysitter during that first year. He helped Edward and I so much, as I tried to figure out my place in the family and tried to develop some control over my own power of shielding. When Renesmee started to become a teenager, Jacob had been the one to go with her to register for school, acting as her guardian saying she was his niece. He had been her protector since birth, her jungle gym, her hunting partner, her best friend, her confidant, her companion. The nature of being imprinted on another allowed for Jacob to be whatever she needed, he didn't see her in a romantic way, at least not yet. Edward and I often wondered if that would ever happen. Would Renesmee grow to an age where she fell in love with Jacob? And if she did, would they marry? Could they have a family? At some point in the future, would Jacob want to relinquish his werewolf side? What would they do then? Of course, Edward and I knew that these decisions were not ours to make. The answers could only be found by Jacob and Renesmee, in their own time in their own way. We knew Alice wouldn't be able to help any of us either, since Jacob's future was out of her line of sight, so to speak.

This day, though, I stood in the back yard of our family home in Forks, Washington; and listened as any mother would, to her daughter and her very best friend, planting flowers in the garden. This cottage, the one that my sweet mother-in-law, Esme, had built for Edward and I as a wedding present ten years ago, was still, in my heart, our home. We had moved on from this place for the most part, but Carlisle and Esme had agreed to keep the land here and the two homes on it so we could return from time to time. Of course, when we came to town we had to keep a low profile and avoid being seen. We only came here to check on our families- my father, Charlie, and his wife, Sue, and Jacob's dad, Billy. We would send word that we were coming to town, and the three of them would meet us at the mansion for a visit. My father had grown accustomed to the fact that none of were aging years ago, though we still didn't talk openly about who, or rather what, we were. I was happy, though, just to be able to see him every once in a while and know that he was still okay.

Renesmee was planting flowers in the garden at the cottage while Edward and I tended to the main house. Having enjoyed several lovely visits over our week-long stay, we were preparing the house to be empty again for a while. Alice had foreseen a bad end-of-summer storm, so Edward set about letting down the storm windows. I had finished beating the dust out of a large oriental rug before looking through the attic for some luggage that Rosalie said she had left here. She and Emmett were headed on yet another honeymoon to Europe, and she insisted she needed the extra luggage.

"Bella." I heard Edward calling to me.

I recoiled my shield just enough so he could hear my thoughts. _Yes, love._

"Have you found Rosalie's suitcase, yet?"

_I know it's in here, I just have to move all this other stuff. Shouldn't be but another minute._

"No, hurry, love," he said. "Renesmee and Jacob are on their way back to the house. She wants to ask us something, but she's not letting me see what it is about."

_Hmmm. That's interesting. I'll be right down._

I allowed my shield to snap back into place, tossed the rest of the obstacles in my way into a heap on the floor and grabbed Rose's suitcase. I made it down the four flights of stairs in a moment's time to find Renesmee sitting on the kitchen counter with Jacob dutifully by her side and her father sitting at the table, his elbows on the table, hands under his chin staring at the two of them suspiciously. I would never have told him as much, but he reminded me so much of my own father sitting like that. The thought made me smile.

"So," I said, sitting down the luggage and walking toward Edward, "What's up?"

Renesmee shifted herself so she was sitting up perfectly straight with her hands folded in her lap and her legs crossed at the ankle. Jacob straightened up next to her and put his huge hand on the small of her back. His gesture was obviously a sign of his support of her in whatever she had to say.

"Well, I've been thinking, Momma," Renesmee began only to be interrupted by Edward.

"Not so much," he said with a laugh. Apparently she had been blocking him for a while, and he knew she was up to something.

"Dad!" She whined just a little, "Let me finish." He turned his chair to face her and then reached for my hand and pulled me into his lap. He nodded toward our daughter, waiting for her to continue. "So, as I was saying, I've been thinking, and I think I want to try something...well...new...different. And before you guys say anything at all, I want you to hear me out, okay? Promise me you'll at least let me finish before you freak out, okay?"

I turned my head to look down at my husband who was staring at Jacob with a raised eyebrow and an intensity I hadn't seen in a decade. I knew that Jacob had let something slip through the mental block that he and Renesmee had been putting up against Edward, and whatever it was, Edward didn't like it one bit.

I looked back at our daughter, who was so special in so many ways and yet in that moment, she was just a teenager asking her parents to hear her out. God, how I remembered being just like her. I knew she must have thought long and hard about whatever was on her mind, and she obviously wanted whatever it was very much. I knew we had to give her the chance to speak. I turned back to face Edward and recoiled my shield again to include him and spoke silently.

_We have to hear her out, no matter what it is, she deserves the right to speak._

He raised his eyebrow again, this time at me, as if to ask me was I sure.

_Edward, love, you know that this must be important to her, look at her face._

I saw him glance at her for the briefest of moments and his resolve faltered.

_Thank you, dear._

I kissed him on the forehead and then turned to Renesmee and Jacob, "So, tell us what's going on."

Jacob reached over and took Nessie's hand in his own and rested their hands together on her lap. She looked into his eyes for some kind of reassurance before taking a deep breath and beginning to speak.

"Well," she sighed. I could tell she was nervous, and not just because the sound of her thrumming heartbeat was getting faster by the second. "I've been thinking about how we move around all the time. And I know we have to, I understand, really I do. And I love that I've been able to live all over the world in ten short years, and I enjoy traveling with the family. God knows, I've seen things in my life that others only dream about. I love going places with Alice and Jasper and with Rose and Emmett. I've loved seeing all of Grandma Esme and Grandpa Carlisle's favorite places, too, but, well....I...I just think that I'd like to...maybe...settle...down...for a little while."

Was that all? She wants to settle down? Well, we could settle down. That's easy. Of course, Edward could still hear me and he squeezed me tight against him. I knew then that whatever it was Jacob had let slip meant it wasn't going to be that easy. Edward was the next to speak.

"Renesmee, darling, if you want to settle down somewhere, that can certainly be arranged. But I don't understand why all the secrecy? We've settled down before, dear."

I could see the conflict in my Nessie's eyes. I stood and crossed the kitchen to stand beside her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and rubbed down her warm arm to her free hand. Taking her small hand and asking permission with my eyes, I slowly raised her hand up to almost rest on my own, cold cheek. I knew from my own human teenage years that sometimes it was just too hard to say what you wanted to say to your parents. I wanted to protect my Nessie, my baby, from any and all discomfort in her life and if she could _show _me instead of tell me, maybe this moment would be easier for her. With a hesitant glance at Jacob, she lifted her now trembling hand and placed it on my face as he nodded in his support. I leaned into her palm as she began to show me what she was afraid to say out loud. And with my shield still loose around me, her father would be able to see it, too.

_Flashes of Nessie in a classroom, a familiar classroom, taking notes and making friends. Pictures of her with other teenagers, in a cafeteria, on the school lawn, at football games. Pictures of her at Charlie's house- having dinner with him and Sue, sitting in my old room on my old bed. Bonfires at La Push. Walking along First Beach with Jacob, hiking through the forest with Jacob, hunting with Jacob._

It did not escape me that nowhere in Nessie's visions of her immediate future were pictures of the rest of the family, not even of her father or me. Edward noticed, too, and a low growl rumbled through his chest. Renesmee continued to show me pictures of the life she wanted to have, her life with Jacob, and I closed my eyes and let her show me everything. When she was finished, she slowly pulled her hand away from my face and reached out to take my hand. I opened my eyes and could see Jacob rubbing his hand up and down her back, comforting her like he always did. He was looking at me, expectantly, waiting to see what our reaction would be. There was a long silence as Edward and I processed all our daughter had just revealed.

"Edward?" Jacob said tentatively. "Bella?" He reached out and nudged my shoulder. "Guys? You have to say something," he pleaded.

"I...I don't know..." I started. "I'm just a little shell shocked I suppose. I mean, Nessie, if you want to settle down we can all..." I was interrupted by the very teenage sound of my very teenage daughter sighing and rolling her eyes. Just before the "Mooomm" whine came from her lips, I held up my finger to silence her and continued. "But if you think that you're really ready to do this...on...your own...well, then..." I turned to face Edward again and begged him in my thoughts to keep his cool, "...then I think that your father and I will have to consider it. Edward, don't you think we can at least consider it?" His face was blank, void of any and all emotion, as he stared at Jacob.

Jacob held up his hands, as if in surrender and said, "Edward, man, you know how this works, I don't..."

"Have a choice," Edward finished Jacob's sentence for him. "Right? Is that what you were going to say to me? That if my daughter wants to leave this family that you have no choice but to go along with it?!" Edward had risen from his chair and was standing centimeters away from Jacob's face now. Jacob was a good eight inches taller than Edward, but the force with which Edward's eyes were boring into Jacob was more than making up the difference. "I have stood by over the last ten years and watched as you have spoiled her in every possible way. Given her whatever she wanted, however she wanted, whenever she wanted. If her mother or I ever said no, which was rare, all she had to do was run to _her Jake_ and you would give in to her every desire. I'll admit that it was cute when she was little, watching the great and powerful Alpha succumb to the whims of a child. But this is different, Jacob. Aren't you bound to do what is _best_ for her, not just what she _wants_?!" The two of them were growling at one another now, and I could see the pain in both of their faces as they fought for dominance in my daughter's eyes.

Renesmee looked at me, pleading for help in her big brown eyes, and I had to act. So, once again in my life, I stood between Edward and Jacob. At least this time, I was as strong as they were and could actually force them both to move. I pushed my arms between them and held them at arm's length.

"Okay, boys," I said, attempting to maintain as light-hearted a tone as possible, "Let's not do this right now, okay?" I looked from Jacob to Edward and back again, making them both look at me, not one another. "This is not the way to deal with this, and you both know it. Jake, take Nessie to La Push, will you? You guys didn't get to see Sam and Emily before. I think Edward and I need some time to talk about this." I looked at Renesmee with the eyes of a mother that told her to keep her mouth closed and walk out the door. She smiled meekly at me as she climbed off the counter and headed for the back door. She mouthed a "thank you" to me as she passed. I released my grasp on Jacob and Renesmee grabbed his hand, pulling him toward her. He immediately turned his focus to her and once he looked into her eyes, his anger melted away and he followed her willingly. Once they were a safe distance away, I let go of Edward's shirt and smoothed it out, slowly running my hands down his chest and back up his arms, attempting to calm him down. A few minutes passed before he took a breath and started to relax.

I took his hand and walked us into the living room. Throwing off the white sheet I had just put over the sofa onto the floor, I sat down and pulled him down with me. He looked like he was stunned. It reminded me of how I felt the first time I'd ever laid eyes on him and the rest of the Cullens. I was seventeen, the same age as Renesmee. Of course, my human memories were a bit hazy, but still- I remembered the feeling I got when he finally talked to me, when he saved me in Port Angeles, when he took me to our meadow for the first time, when we kissed.... I was seventeen and in love and thought I knew all there was to know. If I could have left to live alone with Edward I would have done it in a heartbeat. I would have relished that freedom and independence. I knew how she felt. Of course, now I also knew how Charlie had felt each and every time I left the house with Edward. I understood with a great intensity the nervousness and the possessiveness he must have felt. I knew now what it felt like to want to protect your child from any imaginable danger. I also knew that Jacob was no danger to Renesmee, just as Edward had been no danger to me, but that didn't stop the She Lion in me from rising up and wanting to lock Nessie up in her room.

Edward laughed. He laughed? I turned to look at him and saw the smile play across his lips as he looked at me and chuckled. I remembered that I still had my shield recoiled and that my internal diatribe wasn't so internal. I shrugged my shoulders and sat back against the sofa.

"Well," I asked him, "what do you suggest?"

"I really think this is a bad idea, Bella," he said matter-of-factly. "Especially since she obviously wants to settle _here._ Here, Bella, in Forks. Do you not see all the reasons why that is just a _bad _idea?! I mean, I know that Charlie is here, but, Bella, it's only been ten years. People around here still remember us. People we knew, people we went to high school with, still live here. Don't you think it would be just a little strange if Jacob Black shows up, still looking the same and with a teenager who is the spitting image of _you_?"

"Maybe no one will notice, Edward," I tried to sound convincing. "After all, Jake should only be twenty seven now. If they do what we've done before, use his last name and say he's her guardian, no one will question it. And, really, she couldn't be safer here." He looked at me like I had lost my mind. "Honestly, Edward, darling, think about it." I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to calm him more. "She would be safe anywhere with Jacob. You know that he would never let anything happen to her. And being so close to the pack at La Push. They have a duty to her as well, remember." Edward winced a little at that fact. He still had a hard time accepting that our daughter, our one of a kind little girl who should belong only to us in his mind, was also supernaturally linked with the Quileute pack. His instinct to revile the werewolves was difficult to ignore. He had done so well over the years, but we always knew that in the end, we had the final authority. Until now. Now, our little girl wasn't so little anymore. And she was pushing the limits of what her father could stand. Edward snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his shoulder and took his hand in mine. We sat there for several hours, until it was dark out. Finally, I stood and walked toward the back door. Edward was motionless on the sofa.

"Edward," I spoke softly, willing him to come with me back to our cottage.

"Yes, love," he said, looking up at me. "I'll be there soon. I promise. I just....I need to think..." He laced his fingers together, put his hands behind his head and dropped his head on the back of the sofa. He sighed a defeated sigh and was lost in thought again.

I took one last look at him before turning and setting off through the woods, heading into the forest instead of to our home. I couldn't handle going into the cottage alone- the memories would have been too much to bear now, knowing that the time we'd feared was coming. It was time to let go.

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**End Notes: so, there it is...i have a few more chapters finished, but they need reviewing before i put them up. i'm bracing myself for what you have to say...so let me have it...like it? hate it? need something clarified? hit me! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: just FYI, this whole thing will be in Bella/Renesmee POV. **

**it goes without saying, though it must be said...the lovely, super-cool, uber-talented Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. i'm just playing with their future! :)**

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Chapter Two

Renesmee

Parents. Honestly. You'd think I'd told them I wanted to marry a guy with three heads, though in this family, I hardly think anyone has the right to pass judgement. You know, people in glass houses and all that. I just wanted to do something on my own. My parents were great, my life was great, but sometimes it was just all so..._much._ I knew that I was special, almost one of a kind- one of eight we'd discovered in the years since my birth. None of the others had matured as much as I had, though. They had all reached full maturity at around the physical age of seven or eight. I was chronologically ten, but appeared to be around seventeen. My parents had home schooled me for the first few years, since I was growing so fast. But once my aging had slowed down enough, they had let me enroll in school. It was then that I realized all I had been missing. School was fun. Sure, I already knew everything the average high school could teach me, but that wasn't what fascinated me. I enjoyed the human interaction. I liked making new friends. My mother always told me stories growing up about her time at Forks High School. She'd met my father there, and the rest of the family. She'd also made lots of other good friends. Forks was where she had met Jacob, something for which I thank the universe daily. Forks was where my Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue lived, and so close to where Billy lived in La Push. Forks had always been the elusive home I longed for. Sure, we visited from time to time, but not often enough for me, and we were always here for such a short time. So I decided when we were on our way this time, that this trip was going to be my last for a while. I had to convince my parents to let me stay. Without them.

I have to say, that my parents reacted the exact opposite as I would have expected. I didn't dream that Jake and I had actually managed to completely block my dad out, so I figured he saw it coming. I thought for sure that he would be the calmer one, having time to prepare. I was convinced that my mom would be the one to freak out. When she had gone all "voice of reason" and Daddy had nearly dismembered Jake in the middle of Grandma Esme's kitchen, I was stunned, literally into silence. Mom came to the rescue as always, though, and broke up the brewing fight between Dad and Jake. I knew the history that my parents and Jake shared, but sometimes it bugged me that my dad seemed to be willing me to choose between the two most important men in my life. Mom gave me and Jake an out, suggesting that we go see Sam and Emily.

When we were clear of the house, Jake tossed me up onto his back and started running toward the reservation. Once we crossed the invisible line that was the Quileute/Cullen border, he stopped and let me down. Taking my hand, he led me in the right direction, and we walked the rest of the way.

"So," I said, swinging our hands between us, "That went well." I didn't try to hide the sarcasm in my voice. I never hid anything from Jake.

"Look, Nessie," Jake said. "You gotta understand. Your folks, they're just worried, that's all. And they don't want to lose you. Sometimes you don't understand just how dangerous our life can be. There are others who know about the family, who know about the connection they have here. There are enemies who, if they were looking for a fight, would look here, would look for one of them and they would find you instead." I winced a little at the idea of anyone out there looking for a fight with my family. "Plus, your mom and Edward, they must be thinking that it hasn't been long enough for any one of us to return."

"But, Jake," I said, trying really hard _not _to whine. "I really want this. I am so tired of being different. I am so tired of being special. I just want to live here, in my parent's home town and go to school like a _normal_ teenager. I want to see my grandparents on the weekends like a _normal_ teenager. I want to have homework and study groups and go to the prom. I know I'm _not_ normal, but can't I pretend for just a little while, that I am? Is that really so much to ask?"

"I don't think so," he said. "But it isn't my opinion that matters. And, Nessie, you need to realize that they _can_ tell you no. And if they say no, then I have to respect that. Edward was right back there, I have to do what's best for you. It's part of my duty to you, to keep you safe. If your parents forbid you to leave, then we have to stay. No running away from home like a _normal_ teenager. Okay?"

He looked at me with the eyes of a protector, a parent almost, not Mr. 'Edward, you know how this works...' I nodded in agreement because I knew he was right and said, "Sure, sure. No running away from home."

We had closed the distance to La Push and were coming up on Sam and Emily's house so the topic was put on the back burner. Emily came running outside, arms outstretched and swiftly pulled me into a hug.

"Nessie!" She reached over and included Jake in our embrace. "Jacob! My goodness, how wonderful it is to see you both! How long can you stay?" She released us and pulled me by the hand toward the house.

"We've got all night, huh, Jake?" I said, my reluctance to return to my parents obvious.

Emily looked into my face and tilted her head to the side. "Jacob, go on in there." She turned and reached up on her toes to put her hands on either side of his face, "Sam will be so glad to see you. He can catch you up on all the pack news. Nessie and I are just gonna have a little girl talk, 'kay?" Jake went inside, glancing once more at me through the screen door before leaving me alone with Emily.

Emily was beautiful despite the scar that ran down her face. She was the only "wolf girl" I could really talk to. No one else really, truly understood what it was like for me. All of the others, except for Clair, had been imprinted upon when they were the same age as their werewolf, or at least close enough that the connection had always been romantic. Clair and I were the only ones who had been imprinted upon as babies. But she was fully human, so she was only eleven now. She didn't have quite the same roller coaster of emotions toward Quil as I did when sometimes toward Jake. But Emily understood feeling conflicted. Sam had been in love with her cousin Leah before he met, and instantly fell in love with, Emily. She understood better than anyone the confusion that can come with that level of instant devotion.

"So," Emily asked me, "what's going on at home?"

I didn't want to speak ill of my parents, but I was so frustrated. "My parents are being completely unreasonable!" I whined. "I told them that I want to settle down for a while, live here, in Forks, with Jake and they.....well, my dad anyway, he went freaking nuts! I thought he was gonna start a fight with Jake in the kitchen! He wouldn't even listen to what I had to say!" Emily reached into the pocket of the apron she was wearing and pulled out a handkerchief. She put it in my hand. It was soft and worn and it smelled like clean linen and Emily's perfume. I wiped my eyes as I continued, "I mean, Emily, honestly, I have thought about this for months now. _Months. _And I really thought they would at least _listen _to me. Momma was okay, I mean, she at least let me show her all the things I was feeling, all the things that I want to do and experience here. She even let Daddy into her head so he could see, too. But he just...well, he freaked out! I don't know what to do now, Emily. Jake says if they say no, then he won't let me leave, we'll have to stay with them. I love my family, but I really want to do this. I don't know how to make them see that it'll be okay. Aunt Alice can't help me because she can't see Jake. I don't know what else to do. How can I make them see?" I looked at Emily, pleading, not for help, or for advice, but really just for her shoulder so I could get it all out and cry. She put her arm around my shoulder and held me to her as I collapsed into tears.

I don't know how long I sat there crying, but Emily sat there the whole time, rubbing my back and playing with my hair. After some time, I heard the front screen door creak open, and I could feel Jake standing behind me. I wiped my nose one more time and turned around to face him.

"Nessie," he said hesitantly, "I really think we need to be heading back now. It's pretty late. You need some sleep."

I looked at Emily and rolled my eyes before turning back to him, "Okay, Jake, if you say so." I hugged Emily again and thanked her again. She tucked the handkerchief into my pocket and told me to keep it "just in case". Sam walked out onto the porch and hugged me hello and goodbye. I felt bad that we had showed up unannounced and then I didn't even speak to Sam. We promised to let them know what our plans were as soon as we knew them. As we walked back toward the forest, back toward the treaty boundary line, I looked over my shoulder to see them standing on the steps of their home. I didn't want to say goodbye. I had to make my parents understand. "Jake," I finally spoke, "do you think it would be okay if I talked to Grandpa Charlie about this? Maybe if he were on board, then...."

"Hold on, Renesmee," Jake stopped walking and took me by the shoulders. I knew I was in trouble then. Jake _never_ called me by my full name, ever. "You can't go getting Charlie involved in this just yet. Let your folks come around some more, 'kay? If you tell Charlie, you know he's going to be on your side. He's not capable of being objective when it comes to you, you know that. It wouldn't be fair to gang up on your mom and dad that way." The Voice of Reason, the remix.

I knew he was right, he always was, but I still huffed at him like a petulant child and walked with my arms crossed over my chest for most of the way back. When we reached the edge of the boundary, Jake stepped up in front of me, asking permission with his eyes and tossing me onto his back again when I nodded.

I was hoping my parents would have been at the cottage when we returned, but the little house that I loved was empty. I could sense that my dad was in the big house still, and I got the impression that he was not ready to talk. I couldn't find my mother, though. She wasn't in the big house and didn't appear to be anywhere on the property. Jake couldn't smell her either, so she must have been out hunting. I was determined to stay up until they came around. I knew they would eventually be to talk more, but I got sleepy waiting. I sat on the couch, and Jake read to me until I fell asleep, instantly slipping into a dream of what I imagined would be the perfect first day of school.

Bella

I stopped running when I noticed the lightening of the sky above me. I wondered if Edward had ever gone home or if he had stayed frozen on the sofa in the living room of the big house, contemplating life without our daughter. Fully sated in my hunger, having tried to hunt away the empty feeling I was getting in the pit of my stomach, I sat down on a large fallen, half rotted tree trunk and thought some more about what Renesmee had said the previous day. She wanted to live alone with Jacob, because he gave her the best opportunity to live as a normal teenager. She looked human enough, though she was exceptionally beautiful. She could eat human food, though she preferred blood. She could go out in the sun without sparkling like her skin was covered in diamonds, though in Forks that wouldn't be too much of a issue. She had a heartbeat and she was warm, she breathed and slept- she was the closest thing to human without being fully one of them.

We had given Renesmee every luxury we could over the last ten years. She had seen sights and been places that only a small number of people her age had ever seen or been. She had been educated all over the world, at home at first, but later in school. She could speak fluent French and Italian before her second birthday. She had lived a life of privilege, and yet all she wanted now was to be anything but.

I had started the trek home before I realized I was moving. I needed to see Edward. It had been hours, but it felt like days, and I needed to be with him. Together we could figure anything out, get through anything, handle anything. We were the strongest when we were together. As I neared the boundary of our property, I could sense that Jacob and Renesmee were back, and at the cottage. I stopped there on my way to find Edward to make sure the Renesmee was okay. I opened the door and saw Jacob's large frame on the sofa, Nessie's head in his lap. She was deep asleep, her chest moving slightly, as he lovingly stoked her long bronze hair and hummed to her. If I hadn't been entering my own home, I would have felt like I was intruding. Jacob knew I had come in and looked up at me. I motioned for him to follow me into the kitchen. He gently rolled Renesmee onto her side and off his lap, covering her with a blanket and came to sit beside me at the table.

"Has she been sleeping long?" I asked.

Jacob shook his head, "Just a couple of hours, really. She was kind of hoping you guys would come home so we could talk to you some more."

I nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if you would come back or not, and Edward needed time to think, and I couldn't come back here to an empty house. I should have called to let her know, though." I leaned to the side just enough to see my precious daughter sleeping on the sofa in our small den before turning back to him. "Jacob, can I ask you for something, please?" I hoped that the look in my eyes would be enough to make him say yes. I would have had tears in my eyes if that were possible.

Jacob smiled, "Of course, Bella, anything."

"Jacob," I sighed, letting all the emotion of what was going on finally hit me. "I need you to understand that I get this whole imprinting thing you have with Nessie, I really do. And even though it took some time, you know that I love the fact that you have been there for her all these years. I would never ask you to betray her in any way. I know you couldn't do that, and not just because you're bound to her, but because you just couldn't. But for just a minute, for just this once, I need you...I need you to be _my Jake_. I need someone who isn't one of her parents to help me out here. To tell me what the right answer is. You were my compass once, Jake, and..."

I was interrupted by the feel of Jacob's large, hot hand on my arm. I hadn't realized that I wasn't looking at him anymore, but rather past him, and his touch brought my eyes back to his. His eyes, big and black, and brimming with tears.

"Bella," he sighed softly, "you haven't called me that in so long." I stared at him, hoping he wasn't mad at me. I hadn't meant to call him "my Jake" it just came out. He was right, though, the last time I remembered calling him that was before Edward and I got married, before I was changed, before Renesmee. He was her Jacob now, I knew that. But I needed a friend so badly in that moment, and he was all I had.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, "I didn't mean to..."

"No, I don't mind," he assured me. "I'm just not sure what to tell you." He let out a long, slow sigh, and I could tell he wanted to go back into the den- he didn't like being away from Renesmee for any longer than I liked to be away from her father. "Can we take this outside?" he asked.

"Of course," I said, standing up and following him out into the garden. I looked around at the flowers that Jacob and Nessie had planted the day before. Esme would have been so proud of her granddaughter and the green thumb she seemed to have. I watched Jacob carefully, gauging his reaction to my odd request. I had asked him to put aside his feelings for Nessie and talk to me as my friend, not as her protector. It was a huge request, and I couldn't have blamed him if he'd turned me down. He sat on the stone bench beside the little pond and patted the space beside him for me to sit.

"Bella, you know how much I loved you, right?" I nodded and smiled. No one could ever call Jacob shy or reserved, though I did notice that he used the past tense of the word. "You know that I spent every moment from the time you moved to town until you were married in an attempt to make you love me, too, the same way that I loved you." Again, I nodded, wondering now where he was going with this. He sighed again, this time taking my hand and lacing my cold, tiny fingers through his hot, large ones. "Bella, running down the stairs in that big house, trying to escape what was happening to you, and instead seeing Nessie for the first time...it was like I was being reborn in that moment, like I had finally reached the one place in the universe where I was supposed to be. You, of all people can understand that, I know. And ever since, I have spent my every waking moment doing whatever I needed to do for her. But even now I can't ignore what you and I had, even if we had different ideas of what we had, it was there and it was real. So, you should know that no matter what, I will always be here for you, always."

"Thank you, Jacob." I said, stunned by his words. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me, okay? Don't spare my feelings, either as your friend or as Renesmee's mother, please?" Jacob nodded in agreement. "Okay, I need to know...how you and Nessie...what I mean is, how do you see...what are your...feelings about each other now?"

A small smile played across Jacob's lips and he tried to stifle a laugh. "Bella, are you trying to ask me if we're.....romantic?"

Had I still had blood in my veins, it would all have been rushing to my face as I looked at my best friend and tried, unsuccessfully, to ask him if he was romantically involved with my daughter. "Well," I stammered, "yeah. Are you?" I winced as I asked, not sure I wanted to know if the answer was yes.

Jacob didn't try to stifle his laugh any longer, he just let out a chuckle as he said, "No, Bella, it isn't like that." He shook his head and shook me with him as he laughed at my expense.

I punched him in the arm, glad again that I could do such a thing without breaking my hand. "It isn't funny, Jacob! That is an important piece of information considering she's asking to move out- with you! I need you to tell me what the right answer is to all of this."

Jacob rubbed his arm where I'd punched him. "Look," he said, "first of all, that _hurt_!" I was the one laughing now. "Second, you really need to get Edward and talk to Nessie. Listen to her. Really listen. Okay?" I nodded. I knew he was right. "Now, having said that, let me say my piece as well." I waited patiently as he chose his words. "Bella, I'm not a parent, but I know you just about better than anyone else except for Edward. And I know that on some level, you know that if Nessie is asking you for this, then it is what she needs. And you know that she wouldn't be asking unless she truly felt that she was making the right decision. You also must have considered that being here, in Forks, is actually a great place for her to find some sense of independence and normalcy. She would have so much more time with Charlie. You know how easily she could fit in, being half human. And she couldn't be any safer, with the whole pack less than fifteen miles away." I smiled as Jacob rattled off all the logical reasons Forks was a good choice, just as I had rattled them off to Edward the night before. Sensing that I agreed with him, Jacob nudged me with this broad shoulder and brought our intertwined hands up to his lips and kissed my fingers before letting my hand go. Standing up and heading back toward the door, he turned and leaned against the door jamb. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he looked down at me and said, "You already know the answer, Bells."

Now it was my turn to revel in the sound of a familiar nickname. _Bells._ Jacob hadn't called me Bells in...well, as long as it had been since I called him _my _Jake. I smiled at his reciprocation and watched, my still heart overflowing with emotion, as he made his way back to Renesmee.

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**End Notes: OK, so what do you think? I've determined to be a better reviewer myself after posting since I now know how much it sucks to not know what people think! ;) So, please let me know how you like it so far...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to those of you who have already put LG on your favorites/story alert! That's so awesome! :)**

**Thanks to my personal beta, ghartling for being so great!**

**As always- it goes without saying, though it must be said...the lovely, super-cool, uber-talented Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I'm just playing with their future! :)**

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Chapter Three

Renesmee

The sound of the door opening woke me up. I opened my eyes to find that I was alone on the sofa and wondered where Jake had gone. I stretched and sat up, folding the blanket Jake had obviously covered me with. As I straightened out my clothes and headed for the bathroom, I heard Jake's voice.

"You already know the answer, Bells." I stopped and stood still for a moment, listening. _Bells. _ I'd never heard anyone but Grandpa Charlie call my mother that. It was a little strange hearing Jake call her by that nickname. I figured that meant the two of them must have had a pretty intense conversation, probably about me and my desire to leave the family for a while. I set off toward the bathroom, but was stopped by Jake's hand on my shoulder.

"You're awake," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess." I looked past him into the kitchen, "Why isn't Mom coming in?"

"Ah, you heard that, huh?"

"Well, I just heard the last thing you said to her before you came in." I didn't want to look him in the eyes. I kind of felt like I'd intruded on their moment. "I've never heard you call her that before."

Jake almost looked embarrassed, like he didn't want to tell me. "You mean when I called her Bells?" I nodded. He put his finger under my chin and brought my face up to look at him. "Nessie, you know that your mom and I have a history, we've talked about it before. She and I, well, we go way back, and even though you and I have our thing here," he waved his hand between the two of us, "your mom and I, we kind of still have our own thing. You know? It's not the same as it was back then. And it's not the same as what you and I have, but it's still there. She's still my friend." He looked at me, begging me to understand. I realized that he thought I was upset about their exchange.

"Oh, Jake," I said, patting his large hand that was now resting on my cheek, "I know. I'm totally fine with you and Mom. I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised the you called her that. I guess it just made me realize how serious this whole thing really is to her. That's all."

"It is serious, Nessie," he agreed. "Although, I wish you could have seen your mother's face when she tried to ask me if we were, well, romantic." His big eyes shined with amusement, and he let a loud chuckle.

I doubled over myself, giggling. "She did _what_?!" I couldn't believe it. Yes, what Jake and I had was intense to say the least, but romantic? Not so much. I knew that it might one day be like that for us, like it was for Sam and Emily or Paul and Rachel. But for now, Jake was just my other half. You know, peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk. The thought of my mother actually finding the nerve to ask Jake if we were romantic was hysterical. The only thing funnier would have been if it had been my father asking. Just the thought caused a whole new burst of laughter to erupt from my chest.

"So, she was too embarrassed to come in after that, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jake said. "I think she went to find Edward. I expect they'll be back soon and will be ready to talk then, so you'd better get showered and changed. We'll get some breakfast when you're done."

Two hours later, I was showered, dressed and fed. And fidgety. I didn't want to wait around all day for my parents to decide they were ready to talk to me. So, I went into the big house and started to clean up the mess my mother had made in the attic looking for Aunt Rose's suitcase. Just as I finished, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I glanced at the caller ID. _Aunt Alice._ Uh-oh.

"Hey, Alice," I tried to manage my best nonchalant voice. "How's New England?" Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper were spending the summer in Maine, I think.

"Don't you 'Hey Aunt Alice' me, young lady. What in the world is wrong with you these days? Actually asking your parents if you could _stay_ in Forks? And not letting me in on this little secret? Have you lost your mind?" Her usually musical voice was shrill and forceful.

"Alice, I had to at least ask them! I mean, it's what I really want and...." my own thoughts interrupted me. "Wait a minute. How did you know about that? I only ever talked to Jake about it, and I was careful to never use words, only my visions, so we could try and block you and Daddy out so how could you have seen it? Unless..." There was one way she could have seen it. My _parents_ had made a decision. "...unless my parents have decided something. Alice, what did you see?"

"Oh, no you don't," the shrieking continued. "You don't really think that after finding out that you did, in fact, deliberately block me out of something _this _important, that I'm just going to tell you what I know now? Child, you _have _lost your mind!" I huffed a sigh and sat down on an old, sheet covered chair, rolling my eyes waiting for the rest of the lecture to begin. She would tell me I was acting like a teenager, when I clearly knew better. She would say how I should be grateful for the life I had and how she couldn't believe I'd trade it for anything else. She would tell me how much my parents loved me and how special and _not normal_ I was. I waited. And waited. But she didn't say anything. I thought for a moment that she'd hung up on me.

"Um...Aunt Alice?" I asked.

"I'm still here," she said, a little huffy herself. "I saw that, you know. The eye rolling and the huffing and the things you thought I would say. You kinda stole my thunder, Ness." She wasn't angry, I could tell.

"They've decided, huh?" I didn't want to know the answer, just wether or not they'd come up with one yet.

"Well," she said, "Bella is still waiting to talk to your father. But my brother has made a decision of sorts. He's working out the details before he talks to Bella about it. You're in for quite an interesting day, kiddo." She was smiling now, I could feel it in her voice.

"Aunt Alice," I felt a little defeated, and more than a little irritated that she was keeping what she knew from me. "Honestly, why did you call me? To torture me over blocking you out? Cause if so, you're doing a damn fine job."

"Hey, watch your language," she said before answering my question. "I called to give you a small piece of advice. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Be patient. When your parents do come back, and it'll be a while, because your father still has to tell your mother about his plan. But when they do come to talk to you, promise me that you'll keep an open mind. You've asked them to do that for you, so you be sure and extend the same courtesy to them. _Act_ like an adult and they might start to treat you like one, okay, sweetie?"

I took a moment to process what she was saying. She was right, I did owe it to them to have an open mind and consider whatever it was that they were going to say. "I promise, Aunt Alice."

"Good girl," she trilled in my ear. "Gotta go now. Love you! Bye!"

She was gone before I could say goodbye. I flipped my phone closed and went downstairs to find Jake. I told him about Alice's phone call, then sat at the piano and aimlessly fingered the keys while I waited for my parents to come home.

Bella

I watched as Jake walked into the cottage and closed the door. I could hear Renesmee stirring inside and wondered if she had heard any of our conversation. She and I had talked before about the past that her father and I shared with Jacob, but I wasn't sure if seeing it up close would be the same as hearing about something that was in the past. I hoped she wouldn't see my going to Jacob as some sort of betrayal or like I was trying to make him take sides. I hoped she knew we were all on the same side. I listened as she asked him about calling me Bells and felt awful at how that must have sounded to her. Jacob explained though, and then they had quite a laugh at my expense, and I knew all was well. At least where Jacob was concerned.

I couldn't find Edward anywhere on the property so I stepped onto the front porch of the house and closed my eyes, taking in his scent. He'd left hours ago, headed into town. I knew there was only one place he would go in town, and I was interested to find out why. I went into the garage, found the keys to the new Volvo and headed toward my father's house.

When I drove into the driveway of Charlie's house, I saw Sue outside in the yard, clipping the hedges. I rolled down the window and called to her, "Hey, Sue."

She stopped clipping and turned around, not at all surprised to see me, which meant Edward had to be here also, "Hey, Bella. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, but I'm looking for Edward. I thought he'd come here. To talk to Charlie, maybe?"

Sue walked up to the car and leaned her elbows down to rest on the window. She pointed with her thumb back toward the house and said, "They've been in there all night. Talking." She raised her eyebrows and gave me a knowing look. "It's weird, really. What is going on, Bella?"

Sue Clearwater Swan knew all about my new family. Both of her kids, Leah and Seth, were in Jacob's wolf pack. Her late husband, Harry, had been one of my dad's best friends and a tribal elder. In the months after my change and Renesmee's birth, Sue had been there for my father, helping him to cope with things he didn't fully know or understand. In the years since, I think she'd finally told him all the gory details about me and what I had become, explaining also about Renesmee and how special she was. Of course, my father and I had never actually discussed these things. Sue had been a blessing to Charlie, and I was forever grateful.

"Did Edward tell you guys about Renesmee and that she wants to settle down? Here? _Without_ us?" I asked her.

Sue's eyes widened, and I said, "I'll take that as a no." Sue stood up and opened the car door, gesturing for me to go into the house. She placed her hedge clippers on the front steps and followed me into the house, taking off her garden gloves and placing them on the side table.

"I guess he already knows you're here," she said, referring to Edward, of course.

"I'm sure," I smiled at her.

"They're in the den," she said, motioning toward the family room as she turned an went into the kitchen. I walked in to see SportsCenter on the television and Edward and Charlie sitting perfectly still in the armchairs. The only thing that separated Charlie's stance from Edward's was his chest moving up and down as he breathed.

"Um, hello?" I called to them.

"Hey, Bella," Charlie called to me. "We've been waiting for you."

"What?" I asked as Edward rose from his seat and came to stand beside me.

"Good morning, Love," he said, kissing my cheek.

"Good morning," I said, returning his affection and taking his hand, still confused. "What are you doing here? I mean, when I got home and you were gone, I didn't expect you'd come _here_." I looked at Charlie apologetically, but I knew he'd understand.

"Well, Edward here thought I might be able to help you with your, um, situation with Nessie." Charlie said, patting Edward on the shoulder, sounding almost proud of himself.

I looked at Edward quizzically and loosened my shield long enough to ask him a couple of questions.

_I assume you have some sort of plan here? _He nodded so slightly, Charlie wouldn't notice.

_And this plan somehow involves Nessie and her plan? _He nodded again.

_And whatever this plan is, it's going to make you more amenable to letting her have her way? _One more nod.

Then Charlie was onto our private conversation. "Um, guys," he said. "You know I'm still here, right?"

I laughed, "Sorry, Dad. I was just trying to figure out what my dear husband is thinking, that's all."

"Well, I'll leave you two to discuss things. I've gotta get to work anyway." He kissed me on the cheek and shook Edward's hand before looking to where Sue was standing in the kitchen, telling her he was leaving and that they had something to discuss when he came home for lunch. "You'll let me know?" He directed this at Edward.

"Of course, Charlie. We'll be in touch." Edward nodded toward Charlie as he left the house.

We said our good byes to Sue and got back in the car to go home. Edward was quiet, not ready to share his conversation with Charlie just yet. When we reached the garage at the house, though, I had had enough of the silent treatment.

I took the keys out of the ignition and turned to face him in my seat.

"Okay," I said. "Enough with the solitude. What the hell did you talk to Charlie about?"

"Well," he said, "I was sitting in the house last night, trying to find a way to be okay with what Renesmee wants to do, when it came to me." He looked at me as though I should know what he was talking about. "You see, Bella, I know that you're right. We're going to have to let her do this. I know that. But I was thinking, what if we let her stay, but stay with Charlie and Sue?" I must have looked even more confused because he chuckled and kept explaining. "If she stays here with just Jacob to look after her, yes she'll be safe, but she'll also be spoiled rotten. And what if the other kids try to take advantage of the fact that her only guardian is only twenty-seven? Can you imagine the parties?" I had a flash of drunken teenagers retching in the bushes of my beloved cottage. "But if she's living with the chief of police? Well, you certainly know what that's like."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Yes, I do know what that's like. I also know how easy it was for you to sneak into my bedroom every night for almost two years."

"Yes, love," he said, tracing patterns on the back of my hand, "but Nessie's one and only will already be living in the house with them." He said, tapping his temples as if to say he'd thought of everything.

I thought more about his plan. I looked for something, anything, that might be wrong, but I could find nothing. I couldn't help but laugh at the perfection of his idea. "It's genius!" I squealed, sounding for a moment like the teenager I used to be. "Of course, she might not want to make that particular concession," I said.

"But that's why it's a deal breaker. She wants to be a normal teenager, then she can be a normal teenager with a normal guardian. And you know how Charlie loves Jacob," a tiny bit of his old resentment toward my father's preference for Jacob rang in his words, "he'll make room for him in the house, too. He told me he'd build an addition onto the back, a bedroom for Jacob."

I flung my arms around my husband and kissed him as hard as I could. "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," I said, pulling my face inches away, "you are an evil genius, my dear." I kissed him again, quickly, and then got out of the car.

Once we were in the house, Edward called out in a calm, low voice, "Renesmee. Your mother and I would like to speak to you. And Jacob, please."

Before he could finish, we heard Jacob's feet on the stairs and the two of them were in front of us. It was time to let them in on our plan. Time to see just how badly Renesmee wanted to live in Forks.

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**End Notes: SO?? Will Nessie take the deal? What will Jake say? Are Edward and Bella really ready for this?.....For a review or two, I'll put up Chapter Four tomorrow! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you, once again, to G for proofing this for me and for being so "in" it with me! *sniff, sniff* :)**

**As always, SM owns.**

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Chapter Four

Renesmee

I heard my parents pull into the garage, so my father's request to see Jake and me didn't surprise me. I made my way into the dining room where they were already sitting at the long formal table. My father was sitting at the head of the table, with my mother to his left, their hands intertwined and sitting on the surface in front of them. Jake and I sat down to the right of my father and waited for them to speak first.

"Renesmee," my mother began, "Your father and I need you to understand a couple of things before we give you our decision, okay?"

"Okay," I said, looking nervously at Jake and trying to remember what Aunt Alice had said about keeping an open mind.

"Well, sweetheart," she said, "First of all, I want you to know that your father and I are so proud of you. So proud of the young woman you are, that you have become so quickly. We understand that the...accelerated nature of your life has been confusing at times. We know that these last ten years have been somewhat of a whirlwind for you, for all of us really. And we love you so much, more than you could possibly imagine." She stopped and looked at my father, I think she was trying to make him relax a little. I didn't think that was possible. Then she looked at Jake, and he gave her an affirming nod. I could tell by the way he looked at her, that his gesture had something to do with the talk they'd had that morning. "That said, your father and I have agreed to let you stay here, in Forks, for a while."

What? Did she just say yes? I was so ready for a fight, to have to explain myself and defend my choice. I couldn't believe it- she really said _yes?! _My heart was about to beat out of my chest as I processed the information. Then I remembered what Alice had said. She'd said that my dad was working out a plan of his own. There was a catch.

"Mom," I said, trying to control my excitement, "Dad, I _really_ appreciate that you're letting me do this, but..."

"But?" Jake said, confused.

"But there's a catch, isn't there?" I asked, eyeing my parents.

My dad smiled and chuckled a little. "Your aunt called you, didn't she?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she did. But she only told me that you had some kind of plan and that I should keep an open mind about it. She didn't tell me what it was."

"Well, I hope you listened to your aunt," my mother said.

"Renesmee, Jacob," he began, "Bella and I have decided that you can stay here under one condition." My father kept his voice completely controlled and even. "We have spoken to your grandfather and he has agreed to let you live with him and Sue at their house." I could hardly believe what he was saying. Live with Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue? My father continued, "Charlie has agreed to let me arrange to build an addition to the house to make room for Jacob. He has agreed to be your guardian, posing as an uncle. You will be free to enroll in Forks High School, live like a 'normal' teenager, do all the things you so want to do. And your mother and I will feel a little better about it knowing you're coming home to Charlie and Sue at night instead of being out here all by yourselves."

"Dad," I interrupted him, "just for the record, you _do _know it's not like, well like _that_ with me and Jake, right? I mean, we're not, ya know, _together_ or anything. So, really, there's nothing to worry about with it being just the two of us."

My father's face would have been purple if that were possible, and he spoke through clenched teeth, "Renesmee, I am aware of the nature of your relationship with Jacob. I know that it isn't..." he choked out the last part, "...romantic. But our stipulation isn't about that as much as it is about you being with an adult. No disrespect intended, Jacob, but it would make Bella and I more comfortable to have our daughter in the care of someone other than the one person who can't tell her no. Surely, you understand, you aren't the only one with our daughter's best interests at heart."

Jake nodded and then spoke, "Edward, Bella, I understand what you are saying and," he turned to face me, "Nessie, I think they make a good point."

I watched as they all waited for the screaming. I knew they thought I would pitch a fit. But Alice had been right about keeping an open mind. With that, I had been able to see that they were really doing what they thought was best for me. And I could tell by the tone of my father's voice that living with Charlie was a deal-breaker. If I didn't agree to do it their way, I could go pack my things and prepare to leave.

"Okay," I said, decisively. "I'll take it."

All three of them looked at me. Jake was proud of me, yet surprised. Dad was shocked I hadn't argued with him. Mom was, well, she looked sad almost, liked she sort of hoped I wouldn't agree to their terms. I stood up and walked around to where my mother sat. I took her hand out of my father's grasp and held it as I sat down in her lap.

"Momma," I said wrapping my arms around her neck and hugging her to me, "thank you. Thank you both so much. I promise I won't make you sorry you let me do this. I'll be good for Grandpa Charlie."

"We know you will, baby," Mom said, hugging me tighter. She released me and I reached over to take my father's hand also.

"Daddy," I said, "really, thank you."

He smiled at me, strained, but sincere, and said, "You're welcome, baby."

We spent the next week getting ready. Dad helped Grandpa Charlie get the work done on the house. He called Uncle Emmett to come down from Denali and help out with the construction. Mom and I even talked them into adding a bathroom, the one upstairs would never be big enough for all four of us. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper flew in, too. Alice went with me and Mom to shop for school clothes and things for my new room. I didn't want to change too much, everything in it reminded me of my mother, and I liked that.

Jasper had gone into Seattle to see Mr. Jenks about getting new papers for me and Charlie. I was now officially Vanessa Carlie Wolf, the orphaned great-niece of Charlie Swan.

Before we knew it, the house was finished and it was time for everyone to leave. On the last night, my parents asked if I would stay at the cottage with them, just the three of us, one more time. Jake went to see Billy in La Push, saying he would return in the morning to see my parents off.

That last night went better than I'd expected. My mother got out the photo album that Alice and Aunt Rose had made during my much-accelerated infancy and toddler days. We laughed at how many different outfits Alice had managed to get on me in one day sometimes. We talked about places we'd been and things we had done together. We talked about what they would do next and what they expected of me while I was here.

"Straight A's, missy," my mother had said, pointing her finger at me.

"And no trouble either," Daddy had said. "Your mother gave your grandfather quite enough trouble and he's not as young as he used to be." We all laughed at that. They had told me, of course, about all that had happened between them when they first met.

When we could see the first shades of light on the horizon, I knew I had things to say and I was running out of time to say them.

"Mom, Dad," I said. "I'm really going to miss you guys." I closed the photo album of our last trip to Russia that was sitting in my lap and hooked my arms through each of theirs. I pulled them as close as I could and fought against my heavy eyelids. "I promise I'll be good, and I'll get good grades," I yawned. "And I won't take advantage of Jake, and I won't tell Grandpa Charlie anything he doesn't need or want to know. And I," I yawned again.

"Shh," my mother said as she laid my head on my father's shoulder. "Sleep, baby." I couldn't fight the drowsiness I felt any longer. I curled into my father's side and slept for a while.

Bella

The tears that would never flow prickled at my eyes as I watched my baby sleeping on her father's shoulder. Edward had his arm around Nessie's shoulder, holding onto me with his hand. We sat like that until the sun was clearly up behind the clouds. I could hear Jacob running toward the cottage. I looked to Edward, I knew he could hear him, too.

"He's not happy about this, Bella," Edward whispered.

I looked at him, questioning what he meant.

"I don't mean he doesn't want to do it, just that he's a little sad about it, too, that's all." He explained. "He doesn't want to say goodbye. Well, not to _you _anyway." He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at me.

"Edward, dear," I said, stroking the back of his hand with my fingernails, "Would you mind terribly if I..."

"...had a minute or two alone with your little pet before we leave?" He finished my sentence with a smirk on his face. "No, love, that would be fine. In fact, he was just asking for the same courtesy as he came into the yard. Go ahead. Tell him, though, that I would like a moment of my own when you're finished." He said the last part while looking out the window where Jacob was standing in the front yard, pacing.

Jacob stopped pacing long enough to look into the window and nod toward Edward, answering his request.

I kissed Edward softly and with one last brush of her hair, released myself from Renesmee's arm linked through my own.

The morning air was fresh and I could smell all the flowers and grass and every animal in a five mile radius. I could hear the others- Alice, Jasper and Emmett- in the big house. They were trying to busy themselves so they wouldn't be privy to my conversation with Jacob. It was truly difficult to have any privacy in this family, but we tried the best we could. I sat down on the ground and began picking at the grass under my feet. I suppose that was one nervous habit I had carried with me into my new life. Jacob sat, too, hunched down on the balls of his feet. I couldn't help but giggle a little at his very canine-looking stance.

"You know, Jacob, we're going to miss you just as much as we're going to miss Renesmee." I sighed.

"Well, let's be honest, Bella," he said, smiling. _"You _might miss me, but you'll be alone in that regard."

I looked up at him through my eyelashes and rolled my eyes, "Jacob, seriously. You have become part of this family, you have to know that. It's weird, I know, but it's true. And, in his own way, I know that Edward will miss you. But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

"I know," he said. He reached over and took my hand in his, as he had done the day before.

"I just want, no, I _need _ to say a couple of things. Okay?" He nodded. "First of all, it is my duty as her mother to tell you that if you let anything happen to my daughter, I will kill you. Do you understand me? Kill you. Dead. You. Will. Die." I smiled as I let my 'threat' sink in. "Second, even though we're leaving her legally in Charlie's care, _you_ are still the one who is bound to protect her, and I expect you to do your job. However, I do not want you to in any way interfere with Charlie's feelings of responsibility towards her. He does not fully understand or comprehend what you two have so cut him some slack, okay?" He nodded again. "And one more thing, Jacob. I need you to be honest with me about your relationship with her, okay? So, if one day, you two decide that you have, well, _feelings _for one another, that's fine. I just need you to be the one to tell me about it, alright? I don't want to find out from anyone else. Not Alice, not Edward, no grapevine, okay?" He squeezed my hand in understanding. "Okay, I lied, there is one more thing." He laughed and shook his head. "I just...I mean, I know it's probably not fair to say it, but, well, I want you to know that..." I broke off, stopping to take a deep breath and calm down so I could continue. I had never gotten any better at telling Jacob how I felt about him. Saying it now, of course, had different meaning than it once would have, but it was true nonetheless. I loved Jacob so much. He had been part of my life for all the parts that mattered. He had kept me alive when Edward left me. He saved my life on more than one occasion. And now he was staying behind to take care of the one person who mattered as much to me as he and Edward did. I needed to tell him, but the words, once again, got stuck in my throat.

I felt Jacob's hands on my cheeks and he raised me up to look at him in the eye. He took a deep breath of his own and said, "I love you, too, Bella."

___________________________________________

**End Notes: Taking suggestions on how this should proceed.....detailed stories of how they all make it without one another? Glossed over a couple of years to get to the 'moral of the story' moment? A little of both? What do you think???**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Many thanks to ghartling, of course~ you should get paid more! :)**

**As always, the lovely SM owns...I borrow! :)**

**___________________________________________________________**

Chapter Five

**Bella**

I walked back inside the cottage and sat next to Edward and Renesmee on the sofa. Edward cast a sideways glance my way and raised his eyebrows at me again.

"Don't give me any grief about that, Cullen," I said playfully. "You should remember I can beat you up now."

Edward smiled at me and said, "Bella, love, I would _never_ give you grief about your relationship with dear Jacob." It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "Well, okay, maybe I would. But not today." He smiled that lovely crooked smile that had been my kryptonite since day one and I immediately forgot what we were even talking about.

"I suppose it's my turn, now, huh?" He said, rising off the sofa and heading for the door.

"Be nice, please?" He didn't even acknowledge that I had said anything. "Edward. Please." I said again.

"I'll be nice, Bella. For you." And he was out the door.

I tried to concentrate on thinking of where Edward and I would go next so I wouldn't have to listen to their conversation, but I was just too curious. And besides, they could have walked away if they didn't want me to hear what they were saying to one another. So, I did what any woman would do if her husband and her, well, whatever Jacob was, were having a talk ten feet away from her. I listened.

"Jacob," Edward said, extending his hand.

"Edward," Jacob returned the gesture. "I know how hard this must be for you."

"And I know that you are sincere when you say that." Edward said. "I know you truly understand how difficult this is."

"I do," Jacob said. "I really do. I can't imagine doing what you're doing."

"Well, as difficult as it is, we do know that we are leaving her in very capable hands, and I'm not just talking about Charlie. We know that you will take care of her, guide her, protect her."

"With my life," Jacob said. He wasn't posturing or making exaggerations. He was completely serious, we knew that.

Edward nodded his appreciation for Jacob's commitment. "I want you to know, that despite how things started with the three of us all those years ago, Jacob, I do consider you a member of this family. You have been a life line, literally and figuratively, for both of the most important women in my life. More than once. I do not take that lightly, as you should know by now." Jacob nodded his understanding. "But I want you to know also, that Bella and I are leaving our daughter here with the understanding that she _will _be protected. I know Bella told you to let Charlie think he's in charge, and that would be wise, of course. But you will know things, Jacob, that Charlie will not. You must not fall down on the job here. That girl is my life, too. Mine and Bella's. And even though her heart may belong to you one day, she is our daughter first. I mean no disrespect for you as a man, Jacob, but you need to know this." Jacob continued to listen, waiting for Edward to finish. "We will miss you, Jacob." He paused one last time, "Both of us."

Jacob was quiet for a minute, thinking over all Edward had said. When he finally spoke, he was simple and to the point. "Edward, I love Renesmee. I promise you that I will take care of her. I will keep Charlie in the know as necessary and in the dark as necessary. I will keep you guys in the loop about everything that's going on here, school and life wise. And if the need ever arises, I _will _protect her, Edward, with everything that I have."

I was so involved in the conversation between Edward and Jacob that I didn't even notice when Renesmee woke up or hear that a car had arrived at the main house.

"Mom!" Renesmee was waving her hand in front of my face, bringing me back inside.

"Oh! Sorry, baby. Did you sleep well?" I asked.

"Yeah, I did. I'm gonna head up to the main house, okay? See who just drove up. You wanna come with?" She stood up and held out her hand to me. I took it and rose up off the sofa, following her out the front door.

Edward and Jacob were out of serious mode and were discussing which baseball team had the best pitching staff. Renesmee let go of my hand, taking Jacob's in its place.

"Come on," she said, "Somebody's here." She led Jacob toward the big house.

Edward put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to his side. I hugged him back and we followed, watching our daughter walk further and further ahead of us.

"Can you tell who's here?" I asked. Edward simply nodded. "Are you going to tell me?" I asked. This time, he shook his head. I assumed that he wanted Renesmee to be surprised by our visitor and didn't want her to hear if he told me who had come. He smiled, as though he'd heard my thoughts, even though he didn't.

When we were within sight of the house, I heard a scream. A shrill, shrieking, unnatural sound that can only be made by teenage girls, well, and Alice. I froze for a moment, processing my daughter's excitement.

"Aunt Rose!" She squealed. "Carlisle! Esme! Oh my god! I can't believe you guys are here!" Renesmee took off running toward the rest of the family who had arrived to give her a proper goodbye. She ran to Rosalie and jumped into her arms. Rosalie swung her around like she were still a little girl.

"Oh, my baby!" Rosalie was squealing a little bit, too. "Good grief, child! You've gotten so tall! It's only been a few weeks since I saw you last!" Rosalie turned to Jacob and smirked, "What are you feeding this girl, dog? Have you two been hunting bears again?" Of course, Jacob had long since stopped being offended by Rosalie's 'pet' name for him, but he never missed the chance to rib her a little as well.

"Aww, Blondie, you're just jealous! Kid's gonna be taller than you, soon. And probably prettier, too." Jacob winced and pretended to hide behind Edward, knowing that Rosalie was probably going to retaliate physically for that remark.

Rosalie tossed Renesmee a little ways, into Carlisle's waiting embrace and lunged at Jacob, taking a swing and nearly hitting Edward instead. The two of them continued their playful fight while Edward and I welcomed our parents home.

"Carlisle," I said, wrapping my arms tight around his waist and burying my face in his chest. He had become my father over the last ten years, and we hadn't been together in months. I had missed him terribly.

"Bella, darling," he said, taking my face in his hands, "as beautiful as ever."

Edward had hugged his mother with all the love of a little child, before breaking my hold on his father to do the same. I turned to hug Esme and we stood, arms linked, watching the family gather on the front steps. Alice, Jasper and Emmett had come outside of course and were now taking sides and placing bets in the Rosalie versus Jacob 'battle' that was raging on the lawn. We stayed like this for a while, playing and visiting in the yard, until the sun was high in the sky. Renesmee was enjoying what would be her last moments with the whole family for a while, and she was relishing every moment. I knew that Charlie would be coming for her soon. He was taking her to register for school and their appointment was just after noon. I slipped into the house to make sure that all of her things were packed and in order. I was sitting at the dining room table, going over her new papers again, when I heard Alice come in.

"Hey, Alice," I said. "I'm in the dining room."

Alice skipped into the room and sat beside me at the long formal table. "Bella, how are you holding up?"

I shrugged my shoulders as I read over Renesmee's new birth certificate. "It's a little weird, you know, seeing her new papers and our names aren't on here at all. It says her name is Vanessa and her parents were Deborah Marie Swan Wolf and Timothy David Wolf."

"That is a little strange, huh?" She said, "But, I guess if she's supposed to be Charlie's niece, she couldn't very well have parents named Bella and Edward, could she? At least Jasper stuck the Marie in there for you." She was laughing a little now, trying to cheer me up.

"I know, I know," I said, placing all her papers back into the manila envelope that Charlie would take to the high school. I shook my head to clear it a little and stood up, gathering all of Renesmee's things into my hands. I placed them into her new backpack that Alice had bought for her and headed back outside.

When I reached the front porch, everyone stopped as we heard car wheels coming up the long driveway. I recognized the sound as the tires of Charlie's police cruiser. I clutched the wooden railing beside the steps so hard that part of it turned to powder under my fingers. Edward was instantly by my side, literally holding me up by the waist. I had tried to prepare myself for this day, this moment. But nothing can truly prepare you for what you will feel when it comes time to let your child go. I took a big, deep, slow breath to try and steady my nerves. I looked up at Edward, who looked just as distressed as I was and sighed, "I thought I was ready."

"I know," he sighed, "me, too."

**Renesmee**

When we heard the sound of Grandpa Charlie's cruiser pulling into the long driveway, everyone kind of froze. Poor Mom looked like she was going to pass out, with Daddy standing there holding her up. I felt bad for her, and I felt a little guilty because I was so excited. I looked at my Dad and sent him a message.

_Daddy, I love you. Tell Momma, okay?_

He nodded and smiled at me. I knew he was sad, but he understood. Jake came up beside me and put his big arm around my shoulder.

"Well, Nessie," he sighed, " I guess it's time."

I leaned into him, resting my head in the crook of his arm and closed my eyes for just a moment. I listened as Charlie's car came into the drive and parked a few yards away from where we were all standing. We could all hear the nervous beating of his heart as he got out of the car. He hadn't been with the entire family in ten years, and it still made him a little nervous. I ran to him as soon as he was out.

"Grandpa Charlie!" I said, wrapping my arms around him. "Now my entire family is here. All together. Wow. That's never happened before."

Charlie rustled my hair a little and smiled down at me. I think he knew that I was trying to make him feel more comfortable with everyone being there. He kissed the top of my head and said, "Hey there, kiddo."

"You know, Nessie," Jake had walked up and was trying to help as well. "You're gonna have to stop calling him Grandpa now. Huh, _Uncle _Charlie?"

"Oh, yeah," Charlie stammered a bit, "I guess that's true, huh. Well, just plain Charlie will do, don't ya think?" He smiled down at me again.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I don't wanna call you uncle. It's weird."

He squeezed me into his side and started walking toward the house. He spotted my parents on the porch and called out to my mother.

"Hey there, Bells," he said, looking around the yard at the rest of my family.

Carlisle walked up to us and extended his hand. "Charlie, it's so good to see you again. We are so happy that you agreed to take in our little Nessie for a while." I rolled my eyes. I mean, did he have to call me _little Nessie? _

"Well," Charlie said, shaking Carlisle's hand, "She's my granddaughter, too." He wasn't being rude, but Charlie never did feel entirely comfortable around my other family, even though he liked them.

"Of course," Carlisle said in return.

Esme stepped in at just the right moment, taking Charlie's hand. "Charlie, it's been too long. Please, won't you come in while Renesmee gets her things ready?" Charlie nodded as Esme added, "Of course, I guess it's Vanessa now, isn't it, dear?" I nodded, thanking her with my eyes for being so wonderful and making Charlie feel a little more at home.

Within the hour, Dad and Jake had packed the rest of my suitcases into the trunk of the cruiser. Alice had gone a little overboard with the clothes shopping, of course, so there were three extra suitcases that hadn't been there yesterday.

"Jeez, kid," Charlie said, stuffing the last suitcase into the back seat, "Maybe we should have built you an extra closet, too."

"I know," I said, a little embarrassed, "but you know what Alice is like when she sets her mind to shopping!" I shrugged my shoulders and grinned.

"Uh, guys," Jake said, looking at his watch. "It's eleven-thirty. We really should be going now."

I turned toward the house to see everyone standing there, on the steps, waiting to say goodbye. Well, everyone except my parents. I looked, questioningly at Jake and he shrugged his shoulders. I took a deep breath and walked up to the porch.

"God, you guys look like a funeral procession or something," I joked. "I'm not going off to fight the Volturi, you know. It's just high school." They laughed and relaxed a little bit. I started up the stairs, reaching Jasper first.

"Thank you, Uncle Jasper," I said as I hugged him. "For all your help with Mr. Jenks and my new papers. You made me who I am!" I laughed.

Hugging me tightly, he said, "You're welcome, kid. You go be brilliant, okay?"

I nodded and moved up the steps to where Emmett was standing. He grabbed me up in a huge bear hug and nuzzled his face in my hair. "You be good, okay?"

"I promise," I said. "You, too." I laughed and he planted a big kiss on my cheek before setting me down.

Alice was next, squeezing my to her so tight I almost couldn't breathe. "There are no words," she said. "I'll keep my mind open, but I won't be keeping watch, okay?" Another nod from me, I was afraid to start talking for fear of the tears that would surely flow.

Rosalie took both of my hands and said, "Goodbye for now, sweet girl. Knock 'em dead."

Carlisle and Esme, having the most practice with letting your children go in this family, hugged me in tandem, whispering words of love and encouragement to me in both ears. I hugged them as tight as I could and returned their loving words.

That left my parents. They had managed to make their way outside and were standing down by the cruiser with Charlie. Momma had one arm around Daddy and the other around Charlie. It looked like she was holding on for dear life.

Walking down to them I said, "There you are. I almost thought you were gonna let me leave without saying goodbye." Of course, I knew better, but I had to be light about things or I was going to cry.

Before I could even finish speaking, though, my mother had me in a hug. She was rubbing my back, combing her fingers through my hair, kissing my cheek. I put my hands on either side of her face, pressed my forehead to hers and showed her all the things that I couldn't say.

_Her and Daddy tucking me into bed at night. Reading to each other late into the nights. Laughter and love, sun and snow, mountains and forests. Running and hunting and playing together._

I hoped by showing her, and in turn my Dad, all the lovely memories I'd be taking with me, she'd know how much I loved them.

I stepped back and she held onto my hands, whispering, "Thank you." She pulled me to her once more and said, "Be good, my child. My sweet Nessie. Be brilliant and wonderful. Have fun and take risks. Be careful, though, and always listen to Jake, okay? Love your life, baby. And come back to us?" She kissed my forehead and said, "I love you, my little nudger." I smiled. I couldn't help but giggle at her use of _my _old nickname, the one she used when she was pregnant with me.

She released me into my father's hands, but he didn't say a single word. He just held me to his chest and kissed the top of my head. He looked into my eyes and I knew all he was saying. With one last squeeze, he opened the door to the cruiser and ushered me inside.

I watched, the tears welling up in my eyes, as my parents said goodbye to Charlie. Jake hugged everyone goodbye, even Rosalie, before getting into his own car and pulling into the driveway behind us. Finally, Charlie sat in the driver's seat and started the engine. He looked over at me, patting me on the leg, and said, "It's okay to be sad, kiddo. Trust me, I know." He winked at me and gave me a little shove on the arm. I loved how Charlie could always lighten the mood, even though he did it just because he felt uncomfortable.

I looked out the window as we backed out of the driveway and waved one more time. My family was there on the steps, all together, waving and calling out to us as we left. I found my mother's face and smiled to her, placing my hand flat against the glass of the window. She nodded to me. I knew that she was sad. I was, too. But she was proud of me, and I was proud of her, too. I forced myself to look ahead as we turned out onto the road, and I couldn't help but be excited. I sighed and settled into my seat for the ride into town.

"Well," Charlie said, "Are you ready?"

I smiled at my grandfather and nodded excitedly, "I am. I really am."

**End Notes: Okay, so I'm kinda feeling the end coming here. Don't think it's gonna be as long as I thought at first. What do you think? **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So here it is...this is the end...I thought I might have a little more left, but alas, there is no more...**

**I thank those of you who put this on your favorite and/or story alert! That makes me happy! :) Please check out my other work in progress, To Get Me To You! It's not as sappy. :)**

**Big thanks to my awesome comma/semicolon expert and the best personal beta a girl can have! You rock, G!! :)**

**Once again...SM owns.**

**___________________________________________________**

Chapter Six

**Bella**

Edward held my hand tight as the cruiser disappeared down the driveway. Everyone stood quietly for a few moments before beginning to slowly make their way back into the house. I walked to sit in the swing that sat at the end of the porch. Edward made his way over to me, sitting beside me and putting his arms around me. I felt empty. I felt like the place where my heart was supposed to be was a black hole. I hadn't felt loss like that since that day all those years ago when Edward left me in the woods behind Charlie's house. Silent sobs rocked through my body as I clutched the front of his shirt and fell into his arms.

We sat there for hours, until the sun was setting in the sky around us. Finally, Esme dared to open the front door to check on us.

"Edward, Bella dear, is there anything I can do?"

I couldn't speak. Edward answered, "Not right now, Mother. Thank you. I think Bella just needs some time."

Esme walked over and kissed the top of my head, whispering in my ear, "It's alright, dear. She will be fine. And she _will _come back." All I could do was nod.

*********************************************

The next morning, everyone prepared to leave and go back to their lives. Rose and Emmett were heading back to Denali to pack for their trip to Europe. Alice and Jasper were debating wether to go on another trip to Brazil and a shopping excursion to New York City. You didn't have to be a psychic to know who would win that argument. Carlisle and Esme were going to return to Juneau where Carlisle had set up a practice a few months before.

"Everyone is leaving," I sighed into Edward's chest. We hadn't moved off the porch swing all night.

"Yes," he said. "But, you know, love, we've all been apart before. And we'll all be together again. Rose and Emmett will only be gone a month. And Alice and Jasper will be back in a few weeks. You and I can go on a little vacation ourselves and then head back to Juneau with Carlisle and Esme. We can go to school or you can write or help Esme with the renovations to the house, whatever you want to do, love."

"Edward," I needed to ask him even though I knew what he'd say, "I'd really like to stay here for a few days. I won't get in her way, and I won't let her see me, but I need to make sure that Nessie is really okay. Do you think that would be awful of me? To skulk around for a few days?" I tried to smile. I just needed to know that we'd made the right decision. I looked up him with hope in my eyes, begging him to agree with me.

Edward took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I assumed that was to make a point of how important his answer was, since he didn't actually need the air. He brushed his fingers through my hair and kissed my temple.

"No, love, I don't think that would be awful of you. I think it would be very motherly of you. But just a couple of days okay? We'll make sure she gets in school without incident and then we'll head out, deal? You can shield us while we're here and maybe she won't notice we're still around."

I couldn't keep the smile from my lips. "Thank you, Edward. Thank you. I just need to make sure. Then we'll leave. School starts on Monday so we'll leave on Wednesday, is that okay?"

He nodded and scooped me up off of the swing. "Now, let's go wish everyone a proper farewell, shall we?"

***********************************************

Charlie called that night to let us know that he had registered Renesmee at Forks High School without any problems. As always, the papers Mr. Jenks had provided were flawless and no one had any reason to question them. Charlie said Nessie hadn't gone with him to fill out the paperwork, saying she wanted to get her room fixed up.

"You know, Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber both work at the high school now, Bells," Charlie told me.

"Really? I didn't know that," I said, hoping they hadn't asked about me. As far as the town of Forks was concerned, I was out of the country. Edward and I had gone on a European honeymoon and then to Dartmouth before returning to Europe to live. It explained our absence without being too specific.

"Yeah," he said. "Jessica works in the office. She's a secretary or something. She asked about you and Edward." He sounded like the exchange was more uncomfortable than it normally would have been. "Was that girl that nosy and pushy when you two were in school together?"

I laughed, knowing exactly what he meant. "She wouldn't take the bare bones story you gave her, huh?"

"She wanted all kinds of details outta me, for sure. But then Angela came in and kinda took over, told Jessica to go work on some other files or something. I think she's the new counselor. I did always like that one." He exhaled a long breath.

"That sounds like Angela," I said, smiling remembering my friend.

Charlie said Nessie and Jacob had gone to La Push to visit Sam and Emily, so we said our goodbyes. I didn't tell him of our plans to remain in Forks for a few extra days.

Monday morning, Edward and I were in the woods beside Forks High School before the sun had come up, shield firmly in place, hopefully blocking us from our daughter's senses. We watched as the parking lot started to fill up. Edward nodded toward the entrance to the lot, bringing my attention to Jacob's old car pulling in. Nessie was driving, and she parked the little rabbit convertible on the edge of the lot.

"Look, honey," I said with an exaggerated tone of nostalgia, "Nessie parked in my space!" I pointed at the spot in the parking lot where my truck had been parked on the day that Edward saved me from Tyler Crowley's out of control van.

Nessie got out of the little car, pulling her backpack onto her shoulder and locking the doors behind her. She took a deep breath before heading toward the main office building. Edward and I moved closer to the building so we could hear.

We watched as Nessie walked in the door and up to the counter. Up to Jessica Stanley. From our vantage point, Edward and I could see in the side window of the office. Jessica looked up to see Renesmee standing there and all the color drained from her face.

"I was afraid of this," I said to Edward. "She's going to get suspicious."

"Honey," he reminded me, "that's Jess. She's always suspicious and everyone knows she's a gossip. No one will pay her any attention, even if she says something. Now, be quiet and watch."

Renesmee handed her stack of paperwork that she and Charlie had filled out to Jessica, saying, "Good morning. I'm new. My name is Vanessa Wolf. My uncle is..."

"Chief Swan," Jessica finished her sentence, staring at Nessie as though she had seen a ghost. "Yeah, he was in on Friday. We got you all set up." She thumbed through the papers Nessie had handed her. "Looks like this is everything....umm, just let me get your schedule from Ms Weber...." She didn't take her eyes off Nessie as she called to Angela. "Ms Weber! Come meet our new student, Vanessa Wolf."

"I'll be right there!" Angela called from her office. "I'm printing her schedule now."

"Make sure you put on your glasses so you can really see her, 'kay?" Jessica called back.

Angela came out of her office, glasses on, and stopped as soon as she caught sight of Nessie. "Wow," she said under her breath. Walking closer to the front counter, Angela's mouth wouldn't seem to close. "Vanessa?" She asked, handing Nessie a slip of paper.

"Yes, ma'am," Nessie answered, taking the schedule from her. I could see the decision to nip that situation in the bud cross her face as she said, "Didn't my uncle tell me that you two went to school here with my cousin? Bella Swan? Well, of course, she's Bella Cullen now, but...do you remember her?"

Edward and I couldn't help but chuckle. That's our Nessie, getting straight to the point.

"Um, yeah," Jessica stammered, looking to Angela for help.

"Yeah, we were friends with Bella. We haven't seen her since graduation, though." Angela said, cocking her head to the side, taking in all of Nessie's features that were mine, adding, "God, you must know that you look _just _like her."

"I know, right?" Jessica agreed, "I mean, I guess you know that, but it's really freaky!"

"Yeah," Nessie said, "My mom always said I looked like Bella. Charlie thinks so, too." She took the opportunity that their stunned silence provided to change the subject. "So, this is my schedule, right? I get it signed and bring it back at the end of the day?"

Angela and Jessica just nodded. Nessie waved them a goodbye and headed out the outer door, walking off toward her first class.

At lunch, we saw Nessie exit the building and head for the cafeteria. She was talking to three girls. When they reached the door to the cafeteria, she said something to them, waving them into the building. Once she was alone, Nessie walked around to the side of the building and looked into the woods, just to the right of where we were hiding. Or, at least where we _thought_ we were hiding.

"Mom, Dad," she whispered. "I don't know if you're really out there, but I feel like you are." She closed her eyes. "So, if you're out there...well, I just want to say thank you...Today has been awesome, and it's only lunch time. And thanks for hanging around to check on me. But I'm fine. Really. And you will be, too, Momma. I love you. I'll call you in a couple of days...and I guess...if you're not out there, then I've been talking to myself and I guess that's okay, too." She smiled and opened her eyes, letting them linger on the trees for just a moment before she turned and went to find her new friends.

**************************************************

By that evening, Edward and I were on our way back to Alaska. We had closed up the big house, but left the cottage in livable condition in case Nessie wanted to go there. We had driven about two hundred miles without talking. Edward holding my hand, me staring out the window.

I thought about my little girl, my daughter, my precious Renesmee. She had changed my life in so many ways. Her existence had made my own change not just possible but necessary. She grew so fast, Edward and I- well, all of us for that matter- had trouble keeping up. She was such a mystery, such a joy, such a blessing. She was the center of our universe for ten years, and now she was gone. I looked at Edward and he pretended not to notice, keeping his eyes on the road. I laid my head back against the seat and let my shield collapse around me.

_Edward._

"Yes, love."

_Thank you._

"For what?"

_For letting me take my own time to get used to this idea. I know I'm the one who said we should listen to her and consider what she wanted to do...It's just been harder than I thought it would be._

"I know, love. It isn't easy on any of us. But she's in the best possible hands."

_Yes she is._

We had come upon a fork in the road. Literally. The road split in two. To the right was the road to Juneau, to the left, the highway turned around, going back the way we had come. Edward slowed the car as we approached.

"So, love," Edward asked, brushing his fingers along my cheekbone, "are you ready?"

I smiled and leaned into his hand. "As ready as I'll ever be."

I recognized the first bars of an old song on the radio. I'd heard many versions in my life, but this one was my favorite. I turned it up and hummed along, letting the music fill the space around me.

_There's nothing that I wouldn't do_

_Go to the ends of the earth for you_

_Make you happy make your dreams come true_

_To make you feel my love_

Isn't that what being a mother is all about? Doing whatever you have to do for your child? Put their needs first? Make their lives be full of happiness and help them to make their own dreams come true?

I had done that, hadn't I? I had let her do what she wanted, put her needs above my own. I was helping her, letting her set off to make her dream for her life a reality. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I looked back out the window as Edward sped along the highway that would take us to our new life- finally letting go.

_______________________________________________________________________

**End Notes: So, there you have it. I'm all about the happy ending! Anyway...I hope you liked it...Thanks for taking this little trip with me!! 3**

**p.s.~ in case you haven't heard the song "To Make You Feel My Love" I put a link to a youtube video on my profile. It's Kelly Clarkson's version...the video is just the lyrics scrolling....but the song is so pretty and one of my favorites!**


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